Google unveils Brillo IoT platform that natively supports Android

Alongside announcing the next Android version at the I/O 2015, Google on Thursday unveiled Brillo as its own Internet of Things (IoT) platform. The new platform natively supports Android and is based on cross-platform common language Weave.

Google’s Senior Vice President (SVP) Sundar Pichai at the developer conference in San Francisco said that Project Brillo extends Android capabilities to let developers and manufacturers build connected devices and expand the world of IoT.

Brillo provides a set of APIs to developers so that they can use to add Android compatibility on their connected devices. In addition, it comes compatible with Nest ecosystem to offer connectivity with other similar devices.

Google is offering Weave as a communication protocol that is based on JSON to make it easy for developers and manufacturers to opt for the new platform on their offerings. The language works on the basics of Android app development and enables cloud connectivity for operations.

Google’s Brillo based on Weave

Pichai mentioned that Android running devices will automatically detect Brillo-powered IoT devices and iOS devices can also connect with those devices through a native app.

Brillo has not yet be available to developers though Google will release its initial its developer preview in the third quarter and is expected to reveal more details on the platform later this year. Moreover, Weave full stack will be available in the fourth quarter.

According to some reputed research firms, about 30 million connected devices on various IoT platforms will be available in the worldwide markets by 2020. This answers why tech companies like Google are interesting to bring their offerings for IoT.